The brilliant $9 Reject Shop item people are going crazy for
Claim to be a savvy bargain traveller? Then answer this simple question: Do you know how much your luggage weighs?
If you answered “no”, then there’s still room for improvement. With budget airlines finding every way to milk you out of your money, an overweight carrier bag can leave you out of pocket.
Which is why it’s important to know how much your luggage weighs before you head to the airport, especially if you plan on travelling with nothing but hand luggage.
Jetstar and Tigerair will charge you extra fees if you’ve exceeded the maximum 7kg limit, with their rates ranging from $36 to $60.
Qantas and Virgin on the other hand are slightly more lenient, with Qantas having higher limits. But regardless, both airlines may potentially send your excess hand baggage to the hold and you’ll lose time advantage at the other end.
So to avoid the headache, it’s important to carry around a luggage scale so you can weigh your bags before departure and on return when you’re bringing home a suitcase full of shopping.
But which one do avid travellers swear by? The $9 no-brand scale from The Reject Shop. Weighing only 51g, it won’t take up excess weight and it’s so small that you can pop it in the pocket of your jeans if you’re still concerned about exceeding the limit.
And here’s a final tip: Make sure you weigh your bag more than once before heading to the airport. Digital scales aren’t always accurate, so take into account the higher figure to stay on the safe side.